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French tragedy should serve as warning here Editorial Board August 21, 2003 The toll for heat-related deaths in France from the recent stifling heat wave climbed to 5,000 this week and comes as a shock and a warning to Americans. With temperatures soaring to 90 degrees and even as high as 109 degrees in some places in Europe for more than two weeks, thousands of elderly French residents withered under the oppressive heat. The lack of air conditioning throughout most of France and insufficient staffing in the country's hospitals due to the nationwide vacation season increased the effects of the deadly heat wave. Though this tragedy happened thousands of miles away and under different circumstances than in the United States, heat waves are deadly hazards for elderly people in any country. The concern in our area is especially acute after a massive power failure recently left millions of people in the state and across the Northeast and Midwest without power - and in some states water - for nearly a day. As state and federal officials try to figure out what caused the power outage and how to fix it, residents need to be prepared for future blackouts, such as what happened in California last summer. Roughly 300 people die from heat-related illnesses each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With the dog days of summer upon us, it is imperative to be prepared to care for older relatives and friends and advise them on how to keep cool and safe on scorching days. Griswold Special Care in Stratford suggests checking on seniors on hot days, especially if they are taking some kind of antidepressants, tranquilizers, anti-psychotics or medicine for Parkinson's disease, because these drugs can inhibit the body's ability to cool. Heat-related illnesses are easily preventable if seniors take the following preventive action to keep their body temperature under control. This advice is beneficial to people of other ages as well. · Wear light-colored, loose and lightweight clothes. · If an elderly person is feeling hot, advise the person to bathe in tepid water to cool down. · Seniors should not rely on electric fans alone to keep cool. While fans can provide temporary relief the CDC reports that fans may increase comfort, but they cannot sufficiently protect a person from heat-related illness. Elderly individuals should spend at least a few hours in a cool or air-conditioned environment on hot days. If an elderly person doesn't have an air-conditioner, suggest that they go to an air-conditioned shopping mall or public library for relief. If people do not properly cool themselves during a heat wave they become susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke as their body temperature rises, and they become dehydrated. As a person begins to suffer from these diseases they show symptoms that should act as warning signs and cause for immediate action. Heat exhaustion can be marked by dizziness, headache, nausea, lightheadedness; muscle aches and cramps, shortness of breath and high body pressure. If a person starts to complain of these symptoms, they need to re-hydrate and be replenished with the nutrients sweated out of their body with a juice drink or sports drink. If a person has heart problems or a low-sodium diet, seek medical attention immediately. If not properly treated, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, where the body temperature increases to 105 degrees or higher, and the body's cooling system shuts down. Heat stroke is marked by an inability to sweat, hallucinations, confusion, convulsions or slipping into a coma. To treat these illnesses, the CDC suggests removing the person from the sun or heat immediately, loosening their clothing or removing some of the layers and applying cool water or helping them into a bath or shower. Take them to an air-conditioned environment or apply ice packs to their back of neck, underarms and behind the knees. Traditionally, the dog days of summer last until Labor Day when the weather shifts to cooler temperatures. While we may never experience a heat wave as extreme as the one in Europe recently, we need to be vigilant and prepared to protect ourselves and our seniors to ensure a tragedy of that magnitude never happens here. SOURCE: Milford Mirror, CT http://tinyurl.com/kqxl * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn